No 12 (2019) by Mary Kozlovski
This paper provides an introduction to the Indian judicial system and court hierarchy, outlining the jurisdiction of constitutional and statutory courts and tribunals and the appointment, tenure and removal of judges. It describes forms of alternative dispute resolution that have emerged in recent decades, partly to combat delays in the court system, and informal dispute resolution bodies that mediate family disputes, such as Sharia courts. The paper concludes by discussing the contentious issues of delay in the court system, public interest litigation, and appointments to the Supreme and High Courts of India.
Mary Kozlovski has worked as a Research Assistant at the Asian Law Centre since 2014. She completed a Juris Doctor at Melbourne Law School in 2016, and a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) at The University of Melbourne in 2009. Mary is admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Victoria, and currently works as a researcher at the Victorian Law Reform Commission. Prior to entering the legal profession, Mary spent four years working in community media in Melbourne and two and a half years working as a journalist and editor based in Cambodia. She was a national news reporter and sub-editor at The Phnom Penh Post, before working as a freelance journalist and editor. Mary was also treasurer of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia.